Non-siphoning drinking bowl for cattle



June 18, 1957 v. R. BERG EIAL NON-SIPHONING DRINKING BOWL- FOR CATTLE Filed Sept. 23, 1955 m M 6 E ax z W m JZIZHJ. Me. an" i Vwm Mae, M w 4% AT'T'OENEYs United States PatentO 7 1cc NON-SIPHONING DRINKING BOWL FOR CATTLE Vernon R. Berg, Marshfield, Victor H. Bohl, Beaver Dam, and Christ S. Mueller, Marshfield, Wis., assignors to Blfirg Equipment Company, Marshfield, Wis., a partner- P Application September 23, 1955, Serial No. 536,179

3 Claims. (Cl. 119-75) This invention relates to a non-siphoning drinking bowl for cattle.

It is the object of the invention to provide a water connection leading from the paddle-controlled valve toward the bottom of the bowl, thus protecting cattle using the bowl from having water thrown against their head when the valve is open, the arrangement nevertheless being A 2,796,045 Patented June 18, 1957 such that the passage is vented at a level considerably above the level of water in the bowl so as to preclude any possibility that water in the bowl can be siphoned back into the supply line in the event of pressure failure in the line.

The objective is achieved by having the valve open into a chamber above the level of the bowl. The paddle which operates the valve has laterally spaced arms between which a water passage formed integrally with the bowl leads from the valve chamber to carry the water at low pressure from the chamber to a point in the bowl at or near the level of the paddle. This passage is vented at a point well above the top of the bowl, but there is an internal partition of limited vertical extent which screens the vent against discharge of water, while permitting atmospheric air to break the vacuum in the passage to preclude siphoning.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of an installation embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view showing the device in median, vertical longitudinal section and on a somewhat larger scale.

Fig. 3 is a view taken in section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view taken in section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

The drinking bowl 5 is shown mounted in conventional fashion from a stall pipe or the like at 6. Integral with the bowl is a rearwardly extending arm 7 bored to provide a water inlet passage 8 so threaded as to receive the water supply pipe 9 either from above or from below, the remaining opening being closed by plug 10.

A valve body 11 is threaded into an opening in the top of arm 7 to engage the gasket 12 in the partition 13 which divides the inlet chamber 8 from the valve chamber 14. The cage provides a valve seat at 15 to which the valve plug 16 is drawn by compression spring 17 pressing on .a washer 18 which engages a shoulder on the valve stem 19.

The paddle 20 is carried by the spaced arms 21 of a paddle lever 22 which is fulcrumed on a pintle 23 anchored in the ears 24 carried by arm 7 at the rear of the bowl. Adjustable in the paddle lever 22 is a tappet 25 which bears against the upper end of the valve stem 19, to open the valve 16 when a cow nuzzles the paddle 20. Opening of the valve will normally admit into valve chamber 14 the water supplied under pressure from pipe 9.

The water entering the valve chamber 14 is discharged into the bowl through a generally upright passage provided at 27 by a wall 28 which projects into the bowl bea bowl.

The wall 28 is desirably integral with the bowl. The upper end of the wall 28 has a vent opening 30 of substantial size which is located at a substantial height above the upper part 31 of the drinking bowl 5. Immediately behind the opening 30 is a partition web or bafile 32 'which is located behind the opening 30 in spaced relation thereto for providing free communication between the vent port 30 and passage 27. The partition web 32 terminates at a level which is also well above the bowl margin 31, as clearly appears in Figs. 2 and 3.

The partition web guides downwardly through the passage 27 the water which flows virtually without pressure from the valve chamber 14 into the bowl. Thus no flow or spray is discharged through the port 30 into the face of a cow using the bowl. Yet, in the event of water pressure failure in pipe 9, any resulting vacuum in the valve chamber 14 or the supply chamber 8 is broken by atmospheric air entering port 30, thus making it impossible for contaminated water in the bowl to enter the supply line. Contamination has frequently occurred in the past when, by reason of fire, or for any other reason, water has been siphoned into the supply line from such The average level at which water is maintained in the bowl is indicated by the dotted line 33 in Fig. 2. However, the actual level varies, since the valve is not float controlled but depends upon manipulation of paddle 20 by the animal drinking from the bowl. Accordingly, the vent 30 and the lower margin of the baffle 32 are both spaced materially above the top rim of the bowl, such rim representing the maximum level which the water can reach. To achieve this result, the entire bowl has been lowered with respect to the arm 7 and the valve, in order to permit the bafile and the vent port 30 to be located in the illustrated relation to the valve and valve chamber.

We claim:

1. In a drinking bowl for cattle of the type in which a valve-controlled supply passage leads downwardly at the 'rear of the bowl to a point below normal Water level therein, the improvement which consists of the provision in which passage of a transverse intermediate bafile in front of which the passage is provided with a vent, the battle terminating at a level above the level at which water is maintained in the bowl.

2. In a drinking bowl for cattle provided with a paddleoperated valve and having means providing a valve chamber above the level of the bowl into which water is admitted from said valve, the improvement which comprises the combination with means providing a passage leading from said chamber to a point materially below the level of the bowl, said means providing a port materially above maximum Water level in said bowl, of a partition screening said vent from said chamber and terminating above maximum water level at the rim of the bowl, said partition being adapted to direct downwardly into the bowl water issuing from said chamber, while affording opportunity for atmospheric air to enter said chamber from said vent above the level of water in the bowl.

3. A drinking bowl for cattle having a mounting arm provided internally with water passages and a partition defining a water pressure chamber and a valve chamber within said water passages and provided with a valve port and seat, a valve normally seated on said seat and provided with means guiding it for movement to and from the seat for controlling water flow through said partition, and paddle means within the bowl operatively connected to displace the valve for admitting water through said partition to the valve chamber, the paddle means comprising a valve-actuating lever having laterally spaced arm portions, a water flow conduit leading from the valve chamber downwardly between the paddle lever arms toward the bottom of the bowl and comprising means provided a vent port above bowl level, said conduit having partition means screening the vent port from the valve chamber and having its lower margin spaced above maximum water level in the bowl to afford atmospheric air access through the vent port and conduit to the valve chamber to preclude the siphon of bowl water through said conduit to said chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

